Foundation garment



Aprifl 26, 1960 E. CHJLD 2934mm FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 29, 1957lNVENTR Elfline Child Y United States Patent 1 FOUNDATION GARMENT ElaineChild, Orange, Cnn., assignor to Sarong, Inc., West Haven, Conn., acorporation of Connecticut Application May 29, 1957, Serial No. 662,470

6 Claims. (Cl. 128-432) This invention relates to clothing, and moreparticularly to ladies undergarments of the type which are uniassatisfactorily as does the corselet, for in performing their respectivefunctions they generally cause a redistribution of fieshly areas, sothat there is a tendency for displaced tissue to shift to the midrifiregion, so that this section of the body betrays the object of moldingthe figure. A corselet, on the other hand, alleviates this conditionandwhere there is a redistribution of tissue, this is done under strictcontrol so that the appearance of the entire figure is improved, andimprovement is not limited to local areas.

In form, known corselets generally consist of body encircling portionswhich cover the torso from below the buttock and hips to just below thebust. Such portions then being surmounted by a bust portion which coversand controls the bust, such bust portion generally having conjoined bustcups after the manner of conventional brassieres. With such anarrangement, however, it will be apparent that certain problems arisewhere the corselet is mass produced, and it is desired to fit allpurchasers from a limited number of standard sizes. These problems arepresent because with so extensive a garment it is obvious that therewill be many variants in different figures from the standard sizescreated by the manufacturer.

One specific region in which there will be considerable variationsbetween figures which nominally require the same size garment, is thebust region, and it is particularly this situation at which the presentinvention is aimed. In different figures there is a greater or a lesserdegree of separation between the busts, and there are, of course,variations in the bust size. It is the primary object of this inventionto provide a structure of the corselet type which is self-adjusting sothat a standard size will fit figures with varying dimensionalcharacteristics in the bust region. This object is implemented in thepresent inventive garment by providing bust cups which are completelyindependent of each other, that is, are not attached to each other as isthe case in the conventional brassiere, yet it is assured that such bustcups will perform their accustomed roles of supporting and holding thebusts by mounting the cups upon a unique corselet body. This uniquegarment has two superposed, yet independent, front panels, each cupbeing mounted along the top of one of such panels. Because the cups arenot connected, they may adjust to the needs of the wearer, while theindependent front panels act to hold the cups in proper dispositionrelative to the breasts. The independence of the front panels permitsshifts in the relative position of the bust cups, yet assures thatproper control over the cups will 2,934,5i1 Patented Apr. 26, 1960 lCealways be exercised. The primary object may be further implemented byincluding within eachfront panel adjacent the top edge and associatedwith the bust cups, a band or extent of stretchable material so disposedthat the direction of stretch will further aid in the controlled,self-adjustability of the bust cups.

Another object herein is to provide a garment as above disclosed inwhich the respective bust cups, in no way interfere with the properfunction of each other. To accomplish this object, the garment isconstructed so. that all sections of one cup and its associated frontpanel are completely below all parts of the other cup. That is,

while on three sides of the superposed front panels such panels arecoextensive, at the top of such panels, the respective edges areoppositely inclined, so that no part of either front panel overlaps thebust cup associated with the other of such front panels. Thus, aspresented to the sight, the bodice portion of the garment is ofunincumbered and functional appearance. Such construction makes possiblethe use of fabrics more or less decorative as desired in the bodiceportion. Furthermore, the conventional practice in construction of bustcups may be adhered to without any necessity for. new machinery ortechniques for this purpose.

Still another object herein is to provide means whereby the normallycompletely separated bust cups in the structure as above disclosed, maybe releasably secured together at a point above the edge at which thecup is secured to the associated front panel, shouldthe wearer find suchexpedient desirable.

How these and many other objects are to be implemented will become clearthrough a consideration of the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the in ventive garment;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the garment shown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a front view of a second embodiment of the inventive garment.

In the drawings is shown a corselet having side panels 10 and 11, aprimarily vertically stretchable lower rear panel 12, and an upper rearpanel 13. Garters 14 depend from the lower edges of the garment. In sidepanel .11 occurs a slide fastener 15, surmounted by conventional hook 16and eye 17 closure means whereby the garment may be opened out for easein donning and removal of the garment. Such rear elements seen in Fig. 2obtain inthe embodiments shown in both Figs. 1 and 3.

The side panels 10 and 11 terminate at the front of the garment at seams20 and 21, at which seams such side panels are secured to the twosuperposed front panels 22 and 23, 22 designating the outer of suchfront panels and 23 the inner. Both superposed front panels 22 and 23are sewn into seams 20 and 21, these front panels being otherwisecompletely independent of each other. Such independence extends to boththe tops and bottoms of these superposed panels. It will further benoted that front panels 22 and 23 are coextensive along three sides,that is, along seams 20 and 21 and at their bottoms. The configurationof front panels 22 and 23 at their respective tops are similar butreversed.

At the top of the garment occur bust cups 24 and 25. Bust cup 24, alongits bottom edge 26, is seamed partially to side panel 10 and partiallyto front panel 23 along edge 27 of front panel 23. Similarly, bust cup25 along its bottom edge 28 is seamed partially to side panel 11 andpartially to front panel 22 along edge 29 of front panel 22. Edge '27 ofinner front panel 23 inclines upwardly from its juncture point 30 withseam 20 along the bottom 26 of bust cup 24 until it meets free top edge31 of front panel 23, while said free top edge 31 inclines upwardly fromjuncture point 32 with seam 21 to meet bottom edge 3 26 of bust cup 24.7 It will be observed that free top edge 31 at no point throughout itslength overlaps bust cup 25.

Again, edge 29 of outer front panel 22 inclines upwardly fromv itsjuncture point 33-with seamv21. along'the bottom 28 of bust cup 25 untilitmeets free top edge 34 of front panel 22. Free top edge 34 inclines.upwardly from juncture point 35with seam 20 to meet bottom edge 28 ofbust cup 25. And again, at no' point throughout its length does edge 34of front panel 22' overlap the opposed bust cup 24;

In addition to the components of the inventive structure alreadyenumerated, there are present tabs 36 mounted on the bust cups whichmaybe tiedinto a bow for additional support, and'shoulder straps 37.

In Fig. 1 and the front portions of the garment seen in Fig. 2 is showna modified embodiment of the present invention. Included within therespective front panels 22 and 23 arestretchable bands 40 and 41. Inpanel 22 the band 40 is placed along top edge 34 and has. a primarydirection of stretch parallel to top edge 34. In panel 23 the band 41 isplaced along top edge 31 and has aprimary direction of stretch parallelto top edge 34. 'In panel 23 the band 41 is placed along top edge 31 andhas a primary'direc'tion of stretch parallel to top edge 31. In bothcases, the stretchable band runsalong the respective topledge up to thebust cup associated with the respective front panel. Because of. suchdisposition of the bands themselves as well as their respective stretchdirections, it is apparentithat tin-additional unique and highlyeffective control mechanism, for the bust has been in troduced into thestructure. i I l I While Ihave described specific embodiments of myinvention it is apparent that various" changes and modifications may beintro'duced'thereinto, and structures so modified will still fall withinthe purviewbfmy invention.

I claim: 1

1. A corselet comprising body encircling portions" including two frontalside panels, a pair of independent superposed front panelseach securedto bothsaid side panels but being otherwise separate, two bust cups notconnected to each other, each of said cups being partially mounted onone of said side panels and partially mounted on one of said independentfront panels, whereby motion of said bust cups relative to each other inresponse to the needs of the wearer may occur.

2. A corselet comprising body encircling portions including t-wo frontalside panels, a pair of. independent superposed front panels, eachsecured to both said side panels but being otherwise separate, two bustcups not connected to each other, each of said cups being partiallymounted on one of said independent side panels and partially mounted onone of said front panels, each of said front panels having a free upperedge and including a band of stretchable material along said free upperedge.

3. A corselet as claimed in claim 2 wherein said free upper edge of eachof said front panels is inclined upwardly from the juncture between oneof said side panels and said front panels to the bust cup mounted onthat respective independent front panel.

4. A corselet as claimed 3 wherein the primary direction of stretch ofeach band of stretchable material is parallel to the free upper edge ofthe front panel within which each said band occurs.

5. A corselet comprising body encircling portions including two frontalside panels, a'pair of independent superposed front panels each securedto both said side panels but being otherwise separate, said superposedfront panels being substantially coextensive at the edges thereof otherthan their respective upper sides, the upper sides of each thereof beingbounded in part by the lower edge of one of the bust cups, the remainderof each of said upper sides comprising a free top edge in each of saidsuperposed front panels, each said free top edge terminat ing at one endat the juncture between one of said frontal side panels and said frontpanels, two bust cups not connected to each other, each of ,saidcupsrbeing partially mounted on one of said side panels and partiallymounted. on oneof said independent front panels, whereby motion of saidbust cups'relative to each other in response to the needs of the wearermay occur. I

6.v A corselet as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of said free top edgesinclines upwardly from said juncture bet-ween one of said frontal sidepanels and said front panels.-

References Cited in the file of this patent

